Tiltable post



c. A. POOLE. TILTABLE Posr. APPLICATION FIL'ED DEC-16| 1915. l 1,367,830. Patented Feb. 8,1921.v

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lllllllllll Il T0 NEWARK UNITED STATES CHARLES A. POOLE, 0F JERSEYCITY,NEW JERSEY.

TILTABLE POST.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application led December 16, 1915. Serial No. 67,274.

To all fic/7mm it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. POOLE, citizen of the United States, and resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tiltable Posts, of which the following is a speciiication. A

T his invention relates to improvements in tiltable posts adapted for use as signal or lamp posts and the object of the invention is to provide a post having freedom of movement in all directions, so that when struck, by a vehicle for instance, or from other cause, the post will be tilted instead of breaking or bending, and automatically return to vertical position. In cases where the post serves as a sign post, in addition to carrying lighting fixtures, the invention coutemplates the provision of means for p reventing lateral displacement of that portion of the post which carries street signs or the like.

lith the above and other objects in view, my invention is embodied in a tiltable post as hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the post with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the foundation member with the base of the post tilted and shown in section; f

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the foundation member and the post base showing the means for preventing lateral displacement Of the latter; and

Fig. l is a view in elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3.-

The reference numeral 5 denotes a foundation member adapted to be buried in the ground flush with the street surface 6 and provided with a retaining flange 7 and lugs 8, 8, which preferably project inwardly and are adapted to receive the foundation bolts 9, 9, which are screwed into a concrete foundation 10 which is carried up over the retaining flange 7 to the street surface and whereby the foundation is firmly anchored. Above the street surface the foundation member is formed with a collar 11 having lugs 12, 12 to which a cross bar 13 may be bolted as shown. To said cross bar 18 is secured a pipe 14 by means of coupling members at 15. The pipe 14 is also preferably sunk into the concrete 10 in which, however, an opening is left for connection with the electric service cable 16 or gas supply pipe if such is used. 17 is a wire cable extending down into the pipe 121 and which carries a collar 18 at its lower end. 19 is an expansion spring urging the collar 18 downward. hence exercises a constant downward pull on the cable 17.

The post comprises the post member 20, the base member 21 and the lamp or sign device 22 which in this instance carries certain lstreet names as shown. The post member 2O is preferably a pipe screwed into the base and secured against lateral displacement with respect theretoby any suitable means as the pin 23, for instance. The lamp carries the electric bulb 24 to which current is supplied by a suitable cable 25 connected to the service mains 16 and which extend up through the pipe 20. The concrete foundation is hollowed out as shown, to provide space for the slack of the cable and to facilitate inspection and repairs.

The base 21 is relatively heavy and in the form of an inverted cup designed to closely hug the base collarl 11 with just sutlicient freedom of movement to permit the base 21 to tilt. 27 is a cross bar securedto the base. The wire cable 17 extends up throughy said barand is knotted or otherwise provided with a means for exerting a steady downward pull on the base and post under the influence of the spring 19 as is obvious.

At the foot `of the collar 11 on the foundation member 5 there is provided a horizontal shoulder or seat 28, Fig. 3, upon which rests the base 21 as shown. The foundation member is provided with teeth, lugs or projections 30 in the lcorner between the collar 11 and the seat 28. The projections are carefully Shaped with vertical sides 31, 31 and rounded corners at 32. The base 21 is provided with a corresponding number of sockets or hollowed out portions 83 of a shape to permit the base to tilt and at the same time insure that the teeth or portions 84 on the base remain at all times seated in the spaces 35, Fig. 2. between the teeth 30 on the foundation member. Grooves as 15 may be provided if desired, to carry off water. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the sockets 33 of the base have inwardly sloping roofs or bot-- toms 36, the inner arch 37 or opening of which tits closely over the tooth 30 while the outer arch 88 or opening is of a height equal to the length of the tooth 30 to permit the base to tilt and whereby, as shown in Fig. 3 at 40, when the base has been tilted into extreme horizontal position, the teeth 34 remain on their seats 35 on the foundation.

The object of this construction is to prevent the base from climbing the foundation when the post is tilted which would Vcause it to become laterally displaced on the foundation before coming torest inthe vertical position and whereby the signs on the ,post would become displaced and useless.

.tooth 34; remains between the teeth on the foundation, and the vertical sides 5l on the sockets 33 coperate with the vertical sides 3l on the teeth 30 to prevent theteeth on the base from jumping7 the teeth on the foundation.

`From the foregoing read together with the drawing it is apparent that the post is kept normally upright because of its weight and the pull of the spring on the cable 17. When a vehicle strikes the base only the wheels will glide off from it because of the cup shape. And when the blow is strong enough, the post will be tilted, but pulled upright again by the spring and cable.

The tiltable post as herein described'and illustrated is very simple in construction, easy to erect and may be manufactured at a'reasonably low figure. I do not, of course, intend to limit myself by using the terms teeth or socketsv or by describing or showing these or other parts in their preferred construction. But I intend to claim all such modifications of constructions as come within the legitimate scope of the principle of my invention and the appended claims.

I claim: l

1. A tiltable post comprising a foundation member having an upwardly projecting portion, a post member supported on said foundation member and adapted to tilt with respect thereto, said post member being provided with a cup shaped base adapted to surround and closely hug said upwardly projecting portion on the foundation member, flexible means connecting the said two members, means tending to maintain said post member in upright position, and means preventing relative lateral displacement of the said two members.

2. A tiltable post comprising a foundation member forming a seat, a post member adapted to tilt with respect to the said foundation member and having a base adapted to rest on said seat, projections on the latter, corresponding sockets formed in said base to prevent relative lateral dis placement of the said two members, iiexible means connecting the same and means tending to maintain said post member in normally upright position.

3. A tiltable post comprising an anchored foundation member provided with a flat annular seat, a post member adapted to tilt with respectto said foundation member and having a cup shaped base adapted to rest on the said seat, street signs mounted on said post member, means on both of said members tending to prevent relative lateral displacement thereof and means for illuminating said street signs.

Il. A tiltable post comprising a foundation member, a post member resting on the same and adapted to tilt thereon, projections formed on said foundation member, coperating projections formed on said post member and adapted to fit between the projection on the foundation member, flexible means connecting the said two members and means tending to maintain said post member in normally upright position.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 14 day of December, A. D. 1915.

CHARLES A. POOLE. 

